Sequential phonograph toy

ABSTRACT

A phonograph having a record with several sayings which are played in sequence comprising a turntable that rotates in reverse when a cord is pulled to wind a spring motor. As the cord is pulled it pivots a crank that pushes a stop into the path of a turntable projection to stop the turntable, and thereby determine which groove will be next played. When the cord is released to allow the crank to return to its initial position, the crank ratchets the stop to a new position so that the next time the cord is pulled a new record groove will be played.

United States Patent [191 Baynes et al.

[ SEQUENTIAL PHONOGRAPH TOY I 75 Inventors: William R. Baynes, Palos Verdes Peninsula; Ake L. Larsson, Redondo Beach, both of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Mattel, lnc.,Hawthorne,Calif.

22 Filed: Nov. 13, 19 70 [21] Appl. No.: 89,216

[56]v References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1972 Stern et a1. 274/1 A 9/1970 Goetz et al. 6/1971 Goodkind et al. 274/9 R June 26, 1973 Primary Examiner-Louis R. Prince Assistant Examiner-Steven L. Stephan Attorney-Seymour A. Scholnick [57] ABSTRACT A phonograph having a record with several sayings which are played in sequence comprising a turntable that rotates in reverse when a cord is pulled to wind a spring motor. As the cord is pulled it pivots a crank that pushes a stop into the path of a turntable projection to stop the turntable, and thereby determine which groove will be next played. When the cord is released to allow the crank to return to its intial position, the crank ratchets the stop to a new position so that the next time the cord is pulled a new record groove will be played.

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krrawir BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION lfField of the Invention This invention relates to toy phonographs and, more particularly, to a novel phonograph which can play recordings in sequence.

2. Description of the Prior Art Toy phonographs of the type which are powered by a spring motor that is wound when a cord is pulled, provide an inexpensive and highly entertaining animation device. Such phonographs can include a record with several short sayings, one of which is selected each time the cord is pulled. In some applications, it is desirable that the sayings be played in a predetermined sequence. One of such applications is in a story book with a phonograph in its base, the child pulling the cord every time he turns a page and the phonograph playing a saying that describes the new scene which is displayed. In such a toy, a. child may want to select a particular saying, so provisions should also be included to enable manual selection. In designing such a toy, prime consideration must be given to providing a selecting mechanismwhich is simple, to enable economical production and therefore wide acceptance.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an economical phonograph toy which plays several sayings in sequence.

Another object is to provide an economical story book which plays a saying related to the scene displayed each time a page is turned.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a picturebook with a phonograph is provided which plays several sayings in sequence, the sayings describing the scenes that successively appear as the pages of the book are turned. The phonograph includes a turntable that carries a record with several spiral grooves having lead-in portions spaced around its periphery, so that the initial position of the record determines which groove will be engaged by a tone arm. When a cord is pulled to wind a spring motor, the turntable rotates in reverse'until a projection thereon hits a stop, the position of the stop therefore determining which saying will be played. The stop is normally held away from the path of the turntable projection, but can be moved down into the path when a crank is turned. The crank is engaged with the draw cord sothat pulling of the cord during spring winding causes the crank to pivot and move down the stop. When the cord is released and the crank pivots towards its original position, a ratchet on the crank advances the stop to the next position so that the next time the cord is pulled, the next record saying will be played.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a story book phono graph toy constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded view of the apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4A is a partial view of a phonograph apparatus, during the first portion of pulling of the cord;

FIG. 4B is a partial view of the phonograph apparatus during the later portion of a pulling of the cord; and

FIG. 4C is a partial view of the phonograph during the release of the cord.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates a story book phonograph toy 10 which has a base 12 that houses a phonograph and which holds several pages 14 that display scenes. A hole 16 is formed in the pages to display a knob 18 that can be turned to any one of ten positions to select any one of ten sayings to be played. A child plays a saying by pulling on a ring 20 at the end of a cord 22 to wind a spring in the phonograph. The child then releases the ring to allow the spring to drive the phonograph. Although a child can select the sayings, he may initially turn the knob 18 to point upwardly before he opens the book and may then pull the cord each time he turns a page. The phonograph mechanism will then play ten sayings in sequence, each saying describing the scene depicted on the pages which are displayed. Accordingly, the phonograph enables manual selection of sayings while providing for an automatic sequencing. Of course, the toy can be constructed to select any predetermined number of sayings besides ten.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the details of the phonograph mechanism which is contained in the toy. The phonograph includes a turntable 24 which carries a record 26 with ten grooves therein that define the ten sayings which can be played. The turntable can be driven in a forward direction indicated by arrow 28, by a spring 30, to play the saying defined in one of the grooves. Prior to playing a saying, the spring is wound by pulling on a cord 22 to unwrap it from a cord-receiving drum 32. As the cord is pulled, it lifts the needle of a tone arm 34 off the record and against a stop 36, so that the needle 38 is above a peripheral portion of the record. When the cord 22 is released, the tone arm drops and the needle enters a groove on the record. Sound is transmitted through the tone arm needle to an acoustical speaker assembly 40. A

The ten grooves in the record 26 extend in parallel spirals, with lead-in portions 42 of the grooves spaced along the periphery of the record. Accordingly, the rotational position of the record at the time the cord 22 is released determines which of the ten tracks or grooves will be played. The selection of the grooves is accomplished by a mechanism which stops and'holds the record turntable at a selected position prior to the release of the cord. This mechanism includes a clutch 44 that allows the spring motor 30 to drive the tumtable 24 in a forward direction during playing of the record. However, when the spring is being wound and the turntable tends to rotate in reverse, the clutch 44 can slip, and allow theturntable to be held by a stop at a position to play the next selected groove.

The cord-receiving drum 32 is fixed to one end of the spring 30, so that pulling of the cord positively winds the spring and the cord is positively rewound as the spring turns to drive the turntable. However, the turntable 24 is coupled to the cord-receiving drum 32 only by the clutch assembly 44 that allows some slippage.

The turntable 24 has an arbor 46 which is fixed to a coupling wheel 48. The clutch 44 includes springs 50 in the cord-receiving drum 32 which press balls 52 upwardly against the coupling wheel 48. The coupling wheel 48 has a plurality of depressions therein which can partially receive the balls 52, so that when the balls 52 are in a depression the drum 32 can drive the coupling wheel 48 and therefore drive the turntable 24. However, if the coupling wheel 48 is prevented from rotating, the balls 52 can move out of the depressions and the drum 32 can still be rotated as a child pulls on the cord 22.

During forward rotation of the drum 32 (in the direction of arrow 28), the clutch 44 is engaged and the turntable 24 is driven in a forward direction to play a saying. However, when the cord 22 is pulled and the drum 32 rotates in reverse, a stop 54 engages a projection 56 on the coupling wheel 48 to prevent it from rotating in reverse past a selected position. The particular position at which the stop halts the turntable determines which lead-in portion 42 will be under the tone arm and therefore which groove will next be played.

The stop 54 is mounted on a stop wheel 58, and projects through a slot 60 in a holding wheel 62. The holding wheel 62 remains stationary during th pulling of the cord 22 and therefore it holds the stop 54 at a stationary rotational position. However, the holding wheel 62 can shift to a new rotational position to-shift the stop 54 and therefore select a different record track to be played. The holding wheel 62 does not move axially, although the stop wheel 58 and stop 54 can shift axially. The stop 54 is held in its upward position, shown in FIG. 2, during the playing ofa record so that it is out of the way of the turntable projection 56. However, during pulling of the'cord 22, the stop 54 is moved downwardly to engage the projection 56 and prevent reverse rotation of the turntable past a selected position. The downward shifting of the stop wheel 58 and the stop 54, and its automatic advancement by onetenth turn prior to the next playing of the record is accomplished by a crank wheel 64.

The crank wheel 64 is pivotally mounted, and is urged towards an initial position by a spring 66 which has one end 68 fixed to the housing 70 of the toy and another end fixed to the crank wheel. The cord 22 extends through a hole 72 in a crank arm 74 that is fixed to the crank wheel. The cord 22 is made to change direction in passing through the hole in the crank arm 74, so that when the cord is pulled it urges the crank arm to rotate in the reverse direction indicated by arrow 76 until the arm hits a stop 77 on the housing. When the cord is no longer pulled, the spring 66 returns the crank arm to its initial position. Also, spring 67, reacting against wheel 62, urges wheel 58 upwardly to remove stop 54 from the path of stop 56.

The crank wheel 64 has three projections 78 which can be received in three corresponding recesses 80 in a ring-shaped portion of the toy housing 70. When the crank wheel is in its initial position, the projections 78 are received in the recesses 80 and the crank wheel is prevented from rotating any further in reverse. When the crank arm 74 is pulled in the direction of arrow 76, the crank wheel 64 turns, and inclined surfaces of the projections 78 move the crank wheel 64 downwardly as they move out of the recesses 80. Thus, when the cord 22 is pulled, the crank wheel 64 pivots and also moves downwardly. As the crank wheel 64 moves downwardly, it moves the stop wheel 58 downwardly and therefore moves the stop 54 down into the path of the turntable projection 56. When the cord is released and the crank wheel 64 pivots back to its intial position, ratchet teeth 82 on the bottom of the crank wheel engage ratchet teeth 84 on the top of the stop wheel, to index the stop wheel 58 to a new position, as described below.

FIG. 4A illustrates the crank wheel 64 during rotation in reverse when the cord is first being pulled. As shown, the projections 78 on the crank wheel, which were originally received in the recesses on the housing, move the crank wheel 64 downwardly, and this moves the stop wheel 58 and the stop 54 thereon downwardly. FIG. 4B shows the result of the downward movement of the stop 54. The downwardly shifted stop 54 is in the path of the turntable projection 56, and it therefore limits the amount by which the turntable 24 can rotate in reverse. As the cord 22 is pulled, the cordreceiving drum 32 continues to rotate in reverse and wind the spring while the balls 52 of the clutch repeatedly urge the turntable to continue rotating in reverse. The stop 54, however, holds the turntable against rotation any further than the selected position, which will result in the playing of the selected record track when the cord is released. FIG. 4C illustrates the situation as the cord is released and the crank wheel 64 starts to rotate back to its initial position. The ratchet teeth 82 and 84 on the crank wheel and stop wheel, respectively, become engaged and the crank wheel 64 turns the stop wheel 58 by one-tenth of a revolution. It may be noted that the crank and stop wheels each have ten ratchet teeth. The crank wheel 64 pivots in reverse by slightly over one-tenth turn each time the cord is pulled, so that when it returns, it advances the stop wheel by one ratchet or one-tenth turn.

Thus, every time the cord 22 is pulled, it winds the spring 30 and urges the turntable to turn in reverse. However, the cord also pivots the crank arm 74 which causes the stop 54 to move downwardly and prevent the turntable from rotating in reverse past a selected position, to thereby select the next record track to be played. When the cord 22 is released to allow the turntable to turn in the forward direction and play the record, the crank arm returns to its initial position and thereby indexes the stop 54 to the next position. Accordingly, if a child repeatedly pulls and releases the cord to repeatedly play the phonograph record, the ten sayings will be played in sequence. Inasmuch as the pages 14 of the book 10 represent different scenes described by the sayings, a child can pull the cord once prior to turning each leaf of the book, and the phonograph will then play a saying that describes the new scene which is displayed.

It is generally desirable to provide means for enabling a manual selection of the record track that will be played, to facilitate starting the sequence of sayings at the beginning or at any other saying in the sequence. The knob 18 can be grasped by a child and rotated in the forward direction indicated by arrow 86 in FIG. 3 to begin the sequence at any point. Ratchet teeth 88 on the knob, which can engage corresponding teeth 90 on the housing prevent reverse rotation of the knob. The knob 18 has a shaft 92 that extends through the housing 70 through the crank wheel 64 and through the stop wheel 58. A lower end 94 of the shaft is fixed to the holding wheel 62 through which the knob 54 projects.

When the knob 18 is turned in the forward direction, the holding wheel 62 turns with it and shifts the stop 54 to a next position. The knob has ten ratchet teeth 88 to help maintain it at one of the ten rotational positions so that a particular record track is designated. It may be noted that the phonograph mechanism also includes a shaft 96 about which the turntable 24 and drum 32 rotate. The upper end of the shaft 96 is received in the lower end of the knob shaft 92 while the lower end of the shaft 96 is held in a bearing on the housing.

Thus, the invention provides a story book toy with a phonograph that plays sayings in a predetermined sequence, so that as the leaves of the book are turned and the phonograph is activated, the sayings correspond to the particular scene which is displayed. This is accomplished with a sequencing apparatus which is relatively simple and which is economical to produce. The apparatus also includes a knob which can be moved to reset the phonograph at the initial or any other position in the cycle of sayings.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art and, consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.

What is claimed is:

l. A toy phonograph comprising:

record'means mounted for rotation about a predetermined axis, and having a plurality of tracks with lead-in portions spaced substantially uniformly from each other about said axis;

tone arm means for playing said tracks;

a spring for driving said record means in a forward direction about its axis of rotation;

winding means for winding said spring;

means for coupling said winding means to said record means to urge it to rotate in a reverse direction when said spring is being wound;

first stop means mounted on said record means to move with it;

second stop means movable in the direction of said axis into and out of the path of said first stop means for selectively engaging and disengaging said first stop means to prevent or permit rotation of said record means in said reverse direction, respectively;

and 7 means responsive to movement of said winding means for moving said second stop means axially into and out of said path of said first stop means, respectively, and for shifting the position of said second stop means along the path of saidfirst stop means in steps equal to the angular spacing of a whole number of said lead-in portions about said axis, to select different tracks to be played in a predetermined order, said means responsive to movement of said winding means includes:

a housing with a plurality of recesses disposed about said predetermined axis,

a crank wheel mounted for pivoting about said axis from an initial position to a second position, said crank wheel having a plurality of projections at one end for reception in said housing recesses when said crank'wheel is in said initial position so that pivoting to said second position causes axial movement of said crank wheel, and said crank wheel having a plurality of ratchets at another end;

spring means for urging said crank wheel toward said initial position; and

a stopwheel mounted for pivoting about said predetermined axis and having a plurality of ratchets disposed to be engaged by said ratchets of said crank wheel being coupled to said second stop to move said second stop about said predetermined axis.

2. The toy phonograph described in claim 1 wherein:

said crank wheel includes a crank arm with an aperture therein; and

said winding means includes a pull cord extending through said aperture in said crank arm, to urge said arm to pivot said crank wheel towards said second position when said cord is pulled.

3. A toy phonograph comprising:

a housing;

a turntable rotatably mounted within said housing, said turntable having a projection which moves in a circular path as said turntable rotates;

a record mounted on said turntable, said record having a plurality of grooves with lead-in portions substantially uniformly spaced about its periphery;

tone arm means for engaging one of said grooves at a predetermined rotational position about the axis of rotation of said turntable;

a spring motor for turning said turntable in a forward direction;

a pull cord mechanism including a pull cord, said mechanism coupled to said spring motor to wind it;

clutch means coupled to said pull cord mechanism to urge said turntable to rotate in reverse while allowing slippage, when said pull cord is pulled;

a stop mounted to advance about the axis of rotation of said turntable adjacent to the path of said turntable projection;

means for urging said stop away from the path of said turntable projection;

a pivotally mounted crank wheel having an arm with an aperture for receiving said cord, so that pulling of said cord pivots said crank wheel from an initial position to a second position;

means for urging said crank wheel towards said initial position;

means defining an incline for moving said crank wheel along its axis of pivoting toward said stop, to move said stop into the path of said turntable projection, when said crank wheel pivots toward said second position; and

ratchet means coupling said crank wheel to said stop for advancing said stop about the axis of rotation of said turntable in a step each time said crank wheel pivots to said second position and back to said first position, each step approximately equal to the angular spacing of said lead-in portions about said record.

4. The toy phonograph described in claim 3 includual rotation of said stop.

i k l 1 1K 

1. A toy phonograph comprising: record means mounted for rotation about a predetermined axis, and having a plurality of tracks with lead-in portions spaced substantially uniformly from each other about said axis; tone arm means for playing said tracks; a spring for driving said record means in a forward direction about its axis of rotation; winding means for winding said spring; means for coupling said winding means to said record means to urge it to rotate in a reverse direction when said spring is being wound; first stop means mounted on said record means to move with it; second stop means movable in the direction of said axis into and out of the path of said first stop means for selectively engaging and disengaging said first stop means to prevent or permit rotation of said record means in said reverse direction, respectively; and means responsive to movement of said winding means for moving said second stop means axially into and out of said path of said first stop means, respectively, and for shifting the position of said second stop means along the path of said first stop means in steps equal to the angular spacing of a whole number of said lead-in portions about said axis, to select different tracks to be played in a predetermined order, said means responsive to movement of said winding means includes: a housing with a plurality of recesses disposed about said predetermined axis, a crank wheel mounted for pivoting about said axis from an initial position to a second position, said crank wheel having a plurality of projections at one end for reception in said housing recesses when said crank wheel is in said initial position so that pivoting to said second position causes axial movement of said crank wheel, and said crank wheel having a plurality of ratchets at another end; spring means for urging said crank wheel toward said initial position; and a stop wheel mounted for pivoting about said predetermined axis and having a plurality of ratchets disposed to be engaged by said ratchets of said crank wheel being coupled to said second stop to move said second stop about said predetermined axis.
 2. The toy phonograph described in claim 1 wherein: said crank wheel includes a crank arm with an aperture therein; and said winding means includes a pull cord extending through said aperture in said crank arm, to urge said arm to pivot said crank wheel towards said second position when said cord is pulled.
 3. A toy phonograph comprising: a housing; a turntable rotatably mounted within said housing, said turntable having a projection which moves in a circular path as said turntable rotates; a record mounted on said turntable, said record having a plurality of grooves with lead-in portions substantially uniformly spaced about its periphery; tone arm means for engaging one of said grooves at a predetermined rotational position about the axis of rotation of said turntable; a spring motor for turning said turntable in a forward direction; a pull cord mechanism including a pull cord, said mechanism coupled to said spring motor to wind it; clutch means coupled to said pull cord mechanism to urge said turntable to rotate in reverse while allowing slippage, when said pull cord is pulled; a stop mounted to advance about the axis of rotation of said turntable adjacent to the path of said turntable projection; means for urging said stop away from the path of said turntable projection; a pivotally mounted crank wheel having an arm with an aperture for receiving said cord, so that pulling of said cord pivots said crank wheel from an initial position to a second position; means for urging said crank wheel towards said initial position; means defining an iNcline for moving said crank wheel along its axis of pivoting toward said stop, to move said stop into the path of said turntable projection, when said crank wheel pivots toward said second position; and ratchet means coupling said crank wheel to said stop for advancing said stop about the axis of rotation of said turntable in a step each time said crank wheel pivots to said second position and back to said first position, each step approximately equal to the angular spacing of said lead-in portions about said record.
 4. The toy phonograph described in claim 3 including: a manually operable knob on the outside of said housing; and means coupling said knob to said stop to enable manual rotation of said stop. 